Curt's Corner: Networking for Success
By Curt Nelson, EDC President & CEO
With all the talk of social networking, I wonder whether the art of face-to-face networking has diminished to an afterthought. I would argue that the process of physically meeting people who can provide value to you and your business in real-world networking settings remains critical to success. From encounters at industry or community events, social gatherings, and even the many forms of public transportation, business people are provided with hundreds of opportunities annually. These opportunities range from chance encounters to targeted events where the cast of attendees is known in advance.
The disappointing thing about such opportunity is that the average attendee deals with all possible situations in the same manner – totally unprepared with no plan. Many attend organized events only to socialize with known acquaintances or experience chance encounters where no contact is made. In all cases, opportunities to leverage potential relationships are simply missed. Poor planning, no planning, and / or bad execution thus limit success.
From learning how to quickly and correctly respond to “What do you do?” to proactively determining who you need to meet and for what reason, proper networking is a learned skill that the very successful have honed to a fine art.
To leverage new relationships into business success, ask yourself how proactively you are willing to work. When entering a scheduled event, do you have a plan for who (personally or by business type or name) you want to meet and what the desired outcome of that encounter will be? Do you want a follow-on meeting? Do you want an introduction to someone else? Are you seeking particular industry or competitive information? Do you simply want to create a relationship for future contact? In the everyday world, do you have strong conversation-leading responses to the “What do you do?” question? Are you willing to initiate conversations with those you do not know?
If you are not naturally at ease entering into conversations with new people, here are a few tips. Bring a co-worker or friend with you, perhaps one more comfortable with initiating a discussion. Make sure to ask follow-on questions that require a thoughtful answer, not one that can be answered with a simple yes or no. Ask them questions about themselves, as most people can readily engage in that subject. Prepare your questions in advance and rehearse them so you don’t stumble, but do not sound rehearsed. Start a conversation around a topic of mutual interest. If you are at an industry function, comment about a recent industry trend or issue. If you are at a social function, pick a current local, regional, or national topic, but avoid subjects that can immediately polarize a discussion – like religion or politics. Be a good listener, most people love to talk to people who listen well.
Networking, like all other business skills, requires practice and a plan. The opportunity for you to leverage new relationships into business growth rests with you alone. Even in today’s social media world, there is little that can replace solid personal relationships. Make the effort, build a plan, set applicable goals, and execute your way to a better business.
